Semi-dry in the UK? A good idea?

[SA Boy]

I learnt to dive in a wetsuit.

When I moved to England, I bought a drysuit but within the first 5 mins on my first outing with the suit, my BSAC club instructor thought it would be a good idea to invert me and leave me alone for half an hour without telling me what he was going to do or how to deal with an inversion should I be unfortunate enought to get myself in thet position.

Didn't enjoy the experience much, left the club and haven't dived since.

After the experience, I got rid of the dry suit.

I now want to get back in the water this spring and wondered if I could get away with a Semi-dry in the UK?

I plan to dive Devon & Cornwall from April to October.

Can anyone recommend any makes/models?

I thank you.

 

[wetlettuce]

Hi

You can wear a semi dry in the UK and some people do during the summer months in the inland quarry sites such as Stoney.

I recommend a drysuit and if you wish to dive all year round, and dive offshore then you will need one with proper undergarments. Its not that semi drys don't keep you warm (the water can be as much as 15degreesC), its when you get out the water or go for a second dive when you will suffer because of windchill and cooling of your body.

IMHO drysuit is the ONLY way to dive in the UK. It does take some getting used to and a number of inland site dives will be necessary.

Find a better instructor or BSAC club and don't be afraid to tell them you are unsure about drysuits. Do a drysuit course and that will concentrate on buoyancy, weighting, inversion and you will soon get the hang of it. You can hire a drysuit for about £25 for a weekend to see if you really want to do it. Don't give up just because you were unlucky enough to get a crap instructor. Try again. You won't regret it.

I would recommend Northern Diver drysuits www.ndiver.com. They are extremely good suits and at an extremely reasonable price. For a semi dry get one with a dryzip. I think Mares and Scubapro are good makes, depends on the fit, fit will be crucial.

Kindest Regards

WL

 

[SA Boy]

wetlettuce once bubbled...
Hi

I recommend a drysuit and if you wish to dive all year round, and dive offshore then you will need one with proper undergarments. Its not that semi drys don't keep you warm (the water can be as much as 15degreesC), its when you get out the water or go for a second dive when you will suffer because of windchill and cooling of your body.

IMHO drysuit is the ONLY way to dive in the UK. It does take some getting used to and a number of inland site dives will be necessary.

WL - thanks for the comments I will give some thought to what you say....

If I decide to revisit the world of drysuits I have another question:
Compressed neoprene or membrane and what are the pros and cons.

My last drysuit was neoprene and I found it rather restricting but to someone as ignorant as I, it seemed tougher than membrane. I must confess that it all seemed rather new to me and I suspect I was sold what the shop wanted to sell me.

Regards

 

[nickjb]

Membrane or Crushed Neoprene? Both are popular and both have owners that swear by them so there isn't a definite X is better than Y. I have a membrane, partly because it seems tougher when climbing around on rocks and concrete above water (especially at inland sites) but mostly because I got a good deal on it . It does make me look like a sack of potatoes though

As WL said, a drysuit is much better than a semi dry for when you are out of the water and definitely find another instructor. All of the ones I have met have been friendly and helpful.

 

[Ian Wigg]

For the semidry route - take a look at the Oceanic Shadow 3 piece. Very comfortable and very warm (I've done 30+ mins at 4C in mine and not been cold.) It's nice and warm out of the water too.

I agree with the others though - drysuit is much better for all year round in UK

Ian

 

[MrMojo]

Hi SA boy,
Sorry to here about your drysuit experience i think you need to find another instructor as it is worth pursuing .I was diving this weekend in an inland site and the water temp was 5C and i was warm apart from one hand(another thread) and i dive a membrane,because you can vary the under garments depending on the temp, but i did noticed at the site a couple of people(surprisingly two women) in the shadows which Ian mentioned but i have no experience of them ,but i would say it comes down to what temp you want to dive in and what your personal tolerance to the cold is .I only started diving in a dry at the end of last year and only now am i getting my cofidence in its use as this takes time and practise but truly worth while if you get the right training.I must admit i still miss my semi but only for ease and not for comfort,best of luck with your choice.

Regards,

MAL...

 

[viper3037]

Call me crazy but I spent my time in a viking industrial dry suit and didn't like it much.To many hassels for me.I like to keep my diving enjoyable.
I'm from Canada and dive all year round in both the Atlantic and local fresh water.
The best semi dry I'v ever worn is the Henderson Gold Core.Though when you first get one you should really treat the threading with something to avoid it unravelling on you but even between dives in the snow I was warm in this suit.It's unreal how comfortable it is and it only takes a shake to make the inside dry after youve been out of the water.
Just my opinion but I'll never dive dry again.:bonk:

 

[nickjb]

Viper, what hassles did you have. Buoyancy is a little harder and has to be relearnt, which is a bit of a pain, but after that it all benefits.

Warmer in and out of the water, easier to put on, more flexibility with insulation levels, quick to dry, for a local diver just whip the suit off and drive home, harder wearing...

Of course, YMMV but I certainly haven't regretted going dry.

 

[Conor]

Sorry to do a bit of selling, but.....

If you decide to go for the Oceanic three piece option, then let me know. I have a set of which the long suit only has been used (and only for 5 dives) but is a little too big for me so I am considering selling it at a discount and getting a smaller one.

As for wet v dry I can't comment, haven't dived in the UK yet, but am hoping to soon. My approach was to get the oceanic set which will do you for the UK, Med, red sea, tropics etc and then having dried wet diving in the UK then try Dry. I just don't feel comfortable combining my first dive in the UK conditions with my first dry suit dive, but thats just my opinion.

Conor